Earth anchor



Dec. 12, 1961 G, RIDGERS EARTH ANCHOR Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 26, 1959F. G. RIDGERS EARTH ANCHOR Dec 12, 1961 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 26,1959 FIG. 2

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United States Patent 3,012,643 EARTH ANCHOR Frederick George Ridgers, 91Arkell St., Hamilton, Ontario, Canada Filed May 26, 1959, Ser. No.815,905 Claims priority, application Canada Mar. 10, 1959 5 Claims. (Cl.18990) This invention relates generally to an earth anchor.

More particularly, the invention is directed to an earth anchor for theground connection of an earth anchor rod, to which is attached one endof a guy wire. known that guy wires are used for bracing poles ofelectric power or communication lines.

The invention is an improvement over the applicants own patented earthanchor which is disclosed in Canadian Patent No. 501,915, dated April27, 1954, to N. Slater Company Limited. This patent represents theclosest known prior art.

The following features are present in the earth anchor of CanadianPatent No. 501,915. First the anchor rod is pivotally connected to theanchor plate. Second, the anchor plate is of dished form having steppedor relatively offset fiat concentric faces disposed in planes parallelwith the plane of the edges and is of substantially pyramidal form.Third, the anchor plate is formed of relatively thin sheet. metal which,by corrugating and dishing, has inherent stiffness and resistance todistortion that would otherwise only be obtained by using a thicker andheavier member. Fourth, the earth anchor plate is made of relativelythin material in which the factor resistance to distortion under serviceload is increased by afiixing a reinforcing member at the central areawhere the ground rod is affixed, and the greatest leverage affectingdistortion might occur. Fifth, the feature of expeditious assembly ofthe components and the removability of the anchor rod without thenecessity of disturbing the buried anchor plate. Sixth the convex faceof the anchor plate faces forward and takes the load of the guy wireafter installation. These are the main features of the earth anchor ofPatent No. 501,915

The pivotal feature mentioned above accomplished the specific purpose towhich it was directed but on actual installation it sometimes provided aweakness. Under tension the anchor plate would tend to creep into thesurrounding soft earth, sometimes until the plate was in an almostvertical position, and then tend to cut right through to the surface.

A more desirable action of the plate under tension is augmented by theprovision of extensions thereto, the one on the lower part of the platewhen in anchored position implementing a cutting-in action while the oneon the upper edge is an additional deterrent to any tendency of theplate to move upward through the filled-in earth of the hole dug forinstallation of the anchor.

Other advantages of the present invention will become apparenthereinafter.

According to the present invention an earth anchor plate comprises ananchor plate assembly, connecting means adapted to be secured at one endto said assembly and at the other end to an object to be anchored, saidplate assembly comprising a dished anchor plate having stabilizingextensions extending outwardly from the upper periphery thereof, guidemeans for said connecting means rigidly secured within and upwardlyextending from the concave surface of said plate, means for securingsaid connecting means to said plate assembly so that the concave surfaceof said plate faces the load vector applied to said connecting means.

One convenient embodiment of the invention will now be described withreference to the accompanying drawings in which:

It is well 3,012,643 Patented Dec. 12, 1961 FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary,part-elevation, part-section of the anchoring member proper,

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of FIGURE 1, and

FIGURE 3 is an elevation showing the earth anchor in position in theground with the anchoring member proper in section. r

In the drawings FIGURE 1 shows part of the guy rod 11 secured within adished anchor plate, designated generally at 12. The rod 11 extendsthrough an aperture 13 in an entering guide 14 and through correspondingapertures 15 and 16 in the dished anchor plate 12 and reinforcing plate17 respectively. Threads 18 are provided on the end of the guide rod 11which is firmly secured to the anchor plate 12 by means of a nut 19. Anut retainer 20 is also provided in order to prevent accidental turningof the nut 19. Corrugations 21 are formed on the anchor plate 12. Theentering guide 14 is welded or otherwise firmly secured to the anchorplate 12, and the aperture 13 formed therein to receive the rod 11should achieve a bearing far enough away from the point of attachment ofthe guy rodll to the anchor plate 12 that sufiicient leverage isprovided to keep the anchor plate 12 at right angles to the axis of therod 11 under soil conditions encountered in use.

The anchor plate 12 is formed of relatively thin sheet metal which, bycorrugation and dishing, acquires inherent rigidity and is ofsubstantially the same design as that disclosed in Patent No. 501,915.But to that form of anchor plate there has been added the importantstabilizing extensions 22.

It will be observed from FIGURE 3 that as the rod 11 is buried in aposition from the line of the surface of the soil the extensions 22 endup in use after installation with their surfaces parallel to the surfaceof the soil and so resist any possible movement of the anchor plate; ifthe guy rod load moves the anchor at all after installation, the lowerextension cuts into the earth and directs the movement in a straightline parallel to the surface while the upper extension 22 resists anyupward movement of the anchor plate 12.

The reinforcement of the relatively thin material of the plate 12 in thecritical center portion is provided for by the reinforcement plate 17.It has thus been fortified 1 at the point of maximum stress and the areawhere the greatest leverage affecting distortion might occur.

As previously noted the earth anchor of Patent No. 501,9l5'has a pivotalfeature, the purpose of which is to minimize hole digging and 'to thatextent it has been found satisfactory. However, that feature detractedfrom the basic inherent characteristics of a good stable earth anchor.The present design of earth anchor assures, the stability of position ofthe anchor when installed which is not satisfactorily achieved by theprior art. Additionally, pivotal distortion has been countered by providThe provision of the reversed dished shaped plate 12,"

the long fulcrum and the positive acting stabilizing extensions 22 allaccomplish with a maximum economy of material and fabrication cost,clearly provide advan tages in use which are not present in the priorart.

The conventional method of installing earth anchors of this type may beused in the present invention. This comprises boring a vertical holeinto the ground, and subsequently cutting a narrow trench or slot fromthe hole to the surface of the ground to permit the anchor rod to beburied in its operative slanted position as illustrated in FIGURE 3. Thetrench presents a triangular form as seen in elevation. The walldefining the hole is gouged, under the lower end of the trench, topresent a surface lying at an angle to the axis of the hole adapted toreceive and form a. seat for the anchoring member. Finally the hole andtrench are filled.

In the present invention it will be noted that the concave face of theplate 12 faces towards and takes the load of the guy wire afterinstallation.

The present invention facilitates installation in as much as it enablesthe use of the same type of hole made by power driven equipment used todig pole holes. This sort of equipment is usually on hand when the earthanchor is installed as an incident to the erection of the transmissionline.

The advantages of this development are therefore clearly apparent.

I claim:

I. 'In an earth anchor for securing to the ground connecting meansextending between said anchor and an object to be anchored, an anchorplate assembly, said plate assembly comprising: a dished anchor platehaving a. first stabilizing extension extending outwardly and upwardlyfrom the upper periphery thereof and a second stabilizing extensiongenerally opposite said first extension and extending outwardly anddownwardly from the upper periphery of said plate; elongated, rigidguide means for said connecting means rigidly secured within andupwardly extending from the concave surface of said plate; and means forsecuring said connecting means to said plate assembly so that theconcave surface of said plate faces the load vector applied to saidconnecting means.

2. An earth anchor as claimed in claim 1 in which said plate iscorrugated and a reinforcing member is secured to the central outerportion thereof.

3. An earth anchor as claimed in claim 2 in which said anchor plate,said guide means and said reinforcing plate are provided with alignedapertures for reception of said connecting means which are threaded toreceive a nut and nut retaining member to hold said connecting meanssecurely to said assembly.

4. An earth anchor as claimed in claim 2 in which said connecting meansis a guide rod.

5. An earth anchor as claimed in claim 3 in which said connecting meansis a guide rod.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,070,663 Bierce Aug. 19, 1913 1,601,682 Curd Sept. 28, 1926 1,967,391Blackburn July 24, I934 FOREIGN PATENTS 501,915 Canada Apr. 27, 1954839,026 Germany May 15, 1952

